A Task Force on
Cruise Tourism has been formed jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry
of Shipping with representatives of all major ports and stakeholders for
coordinated efforts to create an enabling ecosystem for the development of
Cruise Tourism in India. The Task Force meets regularly and the last meeting of
the Task Force was held on 21.05.2018.
During the year
2017-18, a total of 1,62,660 cruise passengers visited India at six major ports
namely Mumbai Port, Chennai Port, Cochin Port, Kolkata Port, New Mangalore Port
and Mormugao Port. During the same period, total 139
Cruise ships visited India at six major ports namely, Mumbai, Mormugao, New
Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, and Kolkata Ports.
The
Government has taken following steps to increase the flow of cruise tourists in
the country:
Foreign flag
vessels carrying passengers with effect from February 6th 2009 have
been allowed to call at Indian ports for a period of 10 years without obtaining
a license from Director General of Shipping. This facility has been extended
further for a period of 5 years i.e. up to 5th February, 2024.
Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) for cruise vessels have been revised and operationalized
w.e.f. November, 2017 for uniform, redefined processes to be observed by all
major ports.
Immigration
counters have been set up at five major ports visited by cruise ships. The
facility of E-visa has been extended to five sea ports namely Mumbai, Goa, New
Mangalore, Cochin and Chennai.
Cruise tourists
arriving with E-visa have been exempted from the requirement of biometric
enrolment for a period of three years i.e. till 31.12.2020 to facilitate
expeditious immigration clearance.
The port charges
have been reduced and all major ports now charge a uniform single rate of $0.35
per Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) for first 12 hours of stay w.e.f 3rd November,
2017 and will remain in force for a period of three years.
The ports do not
levy any priority/ousting/shifting charges for berthing the cruise vessel.
Walk-in berthing/preferential berthing to homeport cruise without any
extra charge is now available.
To address
manpower, coordination and logistic issues for handling cruise vessels at
ports, Port Level Facilitation Committees have been formed under the respective
Chairman of the above-mentioned major Ports to facilitate seamless handling of
cruise ships and passengers
The Ministry of
Tourism has also sanctioned various projects for the development of Cruise
Terminals related infrastructure in Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at the
major ports for Rs.106.39 Crore under the Scheme for ‘Assistance to Central
Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’.A new Cruise terminal costing
rs 300 crores will be commissioned at Mumbai Port.
This information was given by the Minister of State (I/C) for
Tourism K. J. Alphons, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on July 30th.
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